New Li-Ning "N“ string series | N58, N61, N63, N65, N68, N69, N70

Discussion in 'Badminton String' started by s_mair, Oct 12, 2022.

  1. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    Since the new line of Li-Ning strings is starting to pop up more and more around the globe, I think it makes sense to have a thread to consolidate all user reviews and impressions.

    Speaking October 2022, there is no information out yet how the full string lineup of Li-Ning will look like longterm and if they will continue both the Nxx and their established and popular No.x series in parallel. Looking at it from a business point of view only, it definietely makes sense to end up with having one series so I somehow expect that the No.x is supposed to die at a point when the N-series has gained some popularity.

    Let's start with the performance ratings and specs, taken from the Fall/Winter 2022 catalogue (https://www.shopnings.com/pub/media/descriptions/liningbadmintoncatalog2022FW.pdf):

    upload_2022-10-13_7-58-24.png
    upload_2022-10-13_7-58-50.png
    upload_2022-10-13_7-59-26.png
    upload_2022-10-13_7-59-46.png
    upload_2022-10-13_8-0-5.png

    As reference, here are the No.1 and No.5 in comparison (No.7 has already died it seems):
    upload_2022-10-13_8-14-20.png

    upload_2022-10-13_8-14-39.png

    Apart from the typical Li-Ning inconsistencies (idiocies?) in the ratings, the fine spread of available gauges is interesting but makes it difficult for a player to find "their" perfect string. And of course also expensive for stringers to offer the whole range.
    I guess that also counts for the local Li-Ning distribution centers since Li-Ning Germany is only offering N61 and N68 right now.

    The N series is still "Made in Japan" which indicates that it is produced by the same OEM as the No.x strings.

    I'm looking forward to read how you guys are rating the new strings yourself (both as player and stringer), especially in direct comparison with the No.x ones.
     
    Cheung, what07, viver and 2 others like this.
  2. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    I got my hands on two sets of N65 recently (huge thanks to @speCulatius!) and was now eager to see how it performs, especially compared to my beloved and longterm go-to string No.1 (=LN1).

    Strung one of my new Adidas Wucht P8 with it yesterday, tension was 12.5/12.5 kg (27.5 lbs):
    upload_2022-10-13_10-8-32.png

    First of all, that color combination ROCKS (@ucantseeme, this is especially for you:))!

    Some first impressions from a stringer's point of view:
    N65 feels significantly different to LN1. The surface is rougher and there is no sign of the rubbery feel of the LN1. When you pull the crosses through, it's even singing a little bit. Not as extreme as a BG80, but still noticeable:


    It behaved very well during the stringing process. Very little curling during the crosses, even though it came from a single set. Nice!
    I measured the ping fresh off the machine at 1360 Hz which is ~20 Hz higher than the LN1 on the same racket and tension. So it looks like the N65 is a wee bit thinner. Although that might fall into the usual tolerance range.

    I now let it settle for a bit and I hope to take it on court tomorrow in the evening. Very curious to see and feel how it performs hitting against a shuttle. More updates to follow. :)
     
    #2 s_mair, Oct 13, 2022
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2022
    Fidget, speCulatius, what07 and 5 others like this.
  3. Budi

    Budi Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Messages:
    1,845
    Likes Received:
    878
    Location:
    Indonesia
    No 66 extreme or boost? Isnt it the latest release string?
    But personally on Lining string lineup, i like no.1 the most. Been a while im not using it, but as far as i can remember, LN no.1 best performance are not on fresh strung but after resting for a while. Usually my 2nd session the string start to shine.

    So @s_mair would you mind sharing the new string, comparing it between tomorow & the next time you play. Does it had similar characteristic.
     
  4. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    Both not listed in the latest catalogue, soooo... make of that what you want.

    Yes, that is the plan when I mean "updates to follow". ;)
    Also longtern durability and playability is a main factor when comparing LN1 to any other string. Cause imo that's where it shines the most.
     
    what07, Raju and Budi like this.
  5. ucantseeme

    ucantseeme Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2010
    Messages:
    5,053
    Likes Received:
    2,403
    Occupation:
    Z-Force II
    Location:
    Z-ForceII
    Great. If I haven't have nearly 160m of pink No.1 here...I would pull the trigger. Great first impressions. Especially if it not feels so rubbery it is a good sign IMO. I'm very curious how it performs. Hopefully it keeps some No.1 DNA in terms of power, feel and longevity. A slightly sharper No.1 would be a serious update (if i comes in pink as well);).
     
    s_mair likes this.
  6. ucantseeme

    ucantseeme Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2010
    Messages:
    5,053
    Likes Received:
    2,403
    Occupation:
    Z-Force II
    Location:
    Z-ForceII
    Any further updates? How does it perform freshly strung?
     
  7. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    Had to skip last Fridays practise, sorry. Next chance tomorrow.
     
  8. speCulatius

    speCulatius Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2017
    Messages:
    1,129
    Likes Received:
    1,210
    Location:
    'round here....
    That "Thank you" has been forwarded to where it belongs and you're very welcome. I asked for two packages N65 for Simon, two for me and....
    PSX_20221018_001114.jpg
    ... that's what I got. If I had known that, Simon would have some more choices as well. I plan to directly compare strings with roughly the same thickness (around 0.65mm, I also have BG66UM, G-Tone 5, F66) and then try N61 and N69 (in comparison to no.5?), but cannot promise when I'll get to any of that.
     
    Cheung, Aayoosh, Raju and 5 others like this.
  9. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    First session with N65 done. Played ~90 minutes with it and switched to a fairly used set of Adidas F66 towards the end of the session to get some impressions from a direct comparison.

    Impressions (in random order):
    Nice feel and great repulsion from the get-go. It felt less "tense" (I don't have another word to describe it) then a fresh set of LN1 strung at the same tension. Hitting sound is crisp, loud and full. You get an immediate audio feedback if you've had a clean contact or not.

    Nothing to complain in terms of control as well (note: I define control as "the shuttle goes where you intend it to go"). You feel the string building up some grip with the shuttle but of course not at the extent of a BG80 or Aerobite. I'd say N65 is on par and with GT5 in that regard.
    I have to add that I came to prefer slightly less rough/grippy strings these days since I easily tend to overdo slicing actions with those super grippy strings.

    What's my takeaway so far?
    N65 performed really well in all departments. Repulsion is on par with (a settled) LN1, GT5 and F66 right from the start. Medium roughness/grip made it easy to control the shuttle, also controlling the spin on net shots. I hit a number of good smashes that came with a hitting sound to clearly impress the opponent.
    So basically all thumbs up so far. The deciding factor, especially in comparison with the LN1, will be its long term performance and playability. Let's see how that will go over the next weeks - updates to follow.
     
    #9 s_mair, Oct 19, 2022
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2022
  10. ucantseeme

    ucantseeme Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2010
    Messages:
    5,053
    Likes Received:
    2,403
    Occupation:
    Z-Force II
    Location:
    Z-ForceII
    Sounds promising. :)
     
  11. Raju

    Raju Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2022
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    USA
    Update on tension retention and durability? If you had time to play again
     
  12. ucantseeme

    ucantseeme Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2010
    Messages:
    5,053
    Likes Received:
    2,403
    Occupation:
    Z-Force II
    Location:
    Z-ForceII
    One week is a little bit too short to judge this. Give @s_mair 1-2 months time to judge this. Anything else wouldn't be honest.
     
  13. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    Just a very quick update:
    Three sessions done with it so far. It still performs amazingly well, I really, really like it. To give a fair assessment of the long term performance in relation to LN1 it will take more time.
     
    Raju, what07 and Woesi like this.
  14. Woesi

    Woesi Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2020
    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    392
    Location:
    Germany
    Sounds like they do perform very well, longevity seems to be the only concern left regarding playability.

    While the prices in Asia seem to be only slightly higher compared to the No. series, the price premium over here in Europe makes these strings rather unattractive.
    Especially with the No1 reel sitting at 100-110 USD I can hardly see anybody switching to the almost 50% more expensive successor unless they drop the prices of the new N series or discontinue the No. series...

    Aerobite, Aerosonic and Exbolt reels btw are 20-30 USD cheaper compared to the N65 while BG80, BG66 UM, VBS63/66N/68 and G-Tone 5 are only 2/3 of that price like No1.
     
    Raju and ucantseeme like this.
  15. s_mair

    s_mair Regular Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Messages:
    5,366
    Likes Received:
    4,152
    Location:
    Germany
    100% agree with you. If they stick to their insane pricings around here, the whole series will be a stillborn. Even if they really discontinue the No.x series with the thought of players having to move to the more expensive Nxx, I don't think that this strategy will work out.
     
    ucantseeme and Woesi like this.
  16. ucantseeme

    ucantseeme Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2010
    Messages:
    5,053
    Likes Received:
    2,403
    Occupation:
    Z-Force II
    Location:
    Z-ForceII
    What should be the pricing for jobs at shops if they decide to offer strings which costs as sets more than 10€ here? For stringing my own rackets, I would move back to a string which becomes numb faster, but costs half the price. IMO the pricing of No.1 sets here was so high that anybody would prefer a Yonex set.
     
  17. Signature

    Signature Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2012
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    54
    Location:
    .
    I picked up as many No.1 reels as I could with the family 50% discount but if they go back to their orig pricing I would also look for alternatives.
     
  18. Kwarevo

    Kwarevo Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2022
    Messages:
    459
    Likes Received:
    67
    Location:
    Indonesia
    N series is too expensive, its like 2 times normal no 1 with purple or black plastic.
    I can't afford to buy this continuously.
    But if I want to try, I will buy.

    So, any specific difference between no 1 and 65? Is it worth to buy with that price?
     
  19. speCulatius

    speCulatius Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2017
    Messages:
    1,129
    Likes Received:
    1,210
    Location:
    'round here....
    Depends on where you are, I guess. The latest prices I know from China are 526 ¥ for the cheapest LN 1, but I think only white was that cheap, and 560 ¥ for N65, the same for all colors that were available.

    I expect N65 to be more expensive than No.1 in Europe when it's (widely) available here, but not by much. No.1 already is not a cheap string.
     
  20. Kwarevo

    Kwarevo Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2022
    Messages:
    459
    Likes Received:
    67
    Location:
    Indonesia
    No 1 the black or purple one is cheap in my country.
    Not only no 1, but all lining string is quite cheap than Victor and Yonex.

    The N strings not distribute "well" in here so seller need to import first
     

Share This Page